Phalaenopsis orchid plant named ‘Feeling Groovy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Phalaenopsis  plant named ‘Feeling Groovy’ characterized by flowers which are white with a purple blush in the center and some yellow and purple in the labellum; plants which may be propagated economically and uniformly using tissue culture; plants which produce more than one inflorescence; long and sturdy inflorescences; and dark-green foliage.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Phalaenopsis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Feeling Groovy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phalaenopsis plant, botanically known as Phalaenopsis of the Orchidaceae family, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Feeling Groovy’.

Phalaenopsis comprises a genus of about 55 species of herbaceous perennials many of which, or the hybrids thereof, are suitable for cultivation in the home or greenhouse. Phalaenopsis is predominantly epiphytic or rock-dwelling, and is native to tropical Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and Oceania. The species typically has 2-ranked, fleshy, oblong or elliptic leaves affixed to a short central stem (monopodial growth), which vary in size from 5 to 8 inches to over 2 feet. The leaves may be entirely green or mottled with silver grey.

Phalaenopsis orchids, often referred to as ‘Moth Orchids’ in the horticultural trade, are frequently used to furnish cut flowers for the florist trade or sold as flowering potted-plants for home or interiorscape.

Phalaenopsis produces upright or pendent lateral racemes, often with many showy flowers which open in succession beginning with the lowermost. The flowers possess three sepals and three petals; the lateral ones being alike. The lowermost petal, called the labellum, is three-lobed and is often more brightly-colored than the other flower segments. Flower colors include various shades of pink, white, yellow and red-brown.

Phalaenopsis orchids are typically propagated from seeds. Asexual propagation of Phalaenopsis is often done from off-shoots which frequently arise from the lower bracts of the inflorescence. The resulting plants are detached from the mother plant and may be planted in a suitable substrate.

The new Phalaenopsis ‘Feeling Groovy’ is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventor, René Schoone, in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new Phalaenopsis cultivar particularly characterized by its attractive and unique colored flowers, economical propagation via tissue culture, rapid growth, and a plant dimension suitable for packaging and shipping to the market.

The new Phalaenopsis ‘Feeling Groovy’ originated from a cross made by the inventor in 1998 in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands. The female or seed parent is the Phalaenopsis cultivar designated ‘Tom Coffey’, unpatented. The male or pollen parent is the Phalaenopsis cultivar designated ‘Pink Twilight’, unpatented. The new Phalaenopsis ‘Feeling Groovy’ was discovered and selected by the inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2006 in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phalaenopsis cultivar by tissue culture was first performed in January, 2006 in Cieweg 13, Heemskerk, The Netherlands, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘Feeling Groovy’, which in combination distinguish this Phalaenopsis as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. flowers which are white with a purple blush in the center and         some yellow and purple in the labellum.     -   2. plant produces more than one inflorescence;     -   3. plants may be propagated economically and uniformly using         tissue culture;     -   4. inflorescences are long and sturdy; and     -   5. dark-green foliage.

In comparison with the parental cultivars of ‘Feeling Groovy’, the female parent ‘Tom Coffey’ has white flowers and the male parent ‘Pink Twilight’ has violet colored flowers, whereas the flowers of ‘Feeling Groovy’ are white with a purple haze in the center which flows out to the edges.

Presently, there is no other commercial cultivar to which ‘Feeling Groovy’ can be meaningfully compared.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Phalaenopsis ‘Feeling Groovy’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the color of ‘Feeling Groovy’.

FIG. 1 shows a side view perspective of a typical flowering plant of ‘Feeling Groovy’ in a 12 cm pot, at 16 months of age.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the typical buds and flowers of ‘Feeling Groovy’.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the typical leaves of ‘Feeling Groovy’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Phalaenopsis cultivar ‘Feeling Groovy’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length without any change in the genotype of the plant.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe plants of ‘Feeling Groovy’ as grown in a greenhouse in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. Initially, the ideal temperature to grow plants of ‘Feeling Groovy’ is 27° C. during the day and at night. Then, during the flowering phase of ‘Feeling Groovy’, the ideal growing temperature is 20-22° C. during the day and 18° C. at night. Light levels for growing ‘Feeling Groovy’ are a minimum of 5,000 lux and a maximum of 10,000 lux. A balanced fertilizer with level of 200 ppm N, 87 ppm P, 168 ppm K is applied. Duration of growth of ‘Feeling Groovy’ from potting size is between 10 and 14 months.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 2007 edition, except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions at approximately noon in Zaandammerweg, Assendelft, The Netherlands. The age of the ‘Feeling Groovy’ plants described is 12 months after potting.

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Phalaenopsis hybrid. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Phalaenopsis cultivar designated ‘Tom             Coffey’, unpatented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Phalaenopsis cultivar designated             ‘Pink Twilight’, unpatented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Tissue culture.         -   Rooting habit and description.—Fleshy; approximately 4 mm-5             mm wide and green in color; freely branching. It takes 12             weeks for plants growing in tissue culture to initiate             roots. -   Plant:     -   -   Size at maturity.—Height: about 78 cm. Spread: about 36 cm.         -   Growth habit.—Standard; dark-green leaves and a relatively             normal raceme.         -   Vigor.—Moderate.         -   Crop time.—Following asexual propagation, at about 26 weeks             2 leaves appear; at about 30 weeks 3-4 leaves appear; after             a cold treatment of about 4-8 weeks at a temperature of             about 19° C. about 2 peduncles with flowers appear. -   Foliage:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—About 6 to 8 leaves are produced before             flowering.         -   Arrangement and attachment.—Half up/horizontal and on two             sides.         -   Overall shape of leaf.—Oval, the tip is blunt and             asymmetric.         -   Texture (upper and under surface).—Smooth and leathery.         -   Pubescence.—3 to 4 pairs of leaves.         -   Mature leaf length.—About 25 to 30 cm.         -   Mature leaf width.—About 10 cm.         -   Mature leaf thickness.—About 2 mm.         -   Mature leaf color.—Upper surface: RHS 146A; at the leaf base             and on the edges purple RHS 184A; Under surface: green RHS             146A; the midvein and the edges are brown RHS 177A with a             haze of RHS 177A.         -   Leaf base.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Venation.—Pattern: parallel. Color of midvein: Upper side:             dark green RHS N137B; Under side: brown RHS 177A. -   Raceme:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—About 1 to 2.         -   Number of flowers per raceme.—About 23 to 36.         -   Length.—About 70 to 80 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright.         -   Texture.—Glabrous and smooth.         -   Color.—Green RHS 148A.         -   Internode.—Length: about 30 mm to 40 mm. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Upright to slightly pendant, racemose             inflorescence with bilaterally symmetrical flowers that open             in succession beginning with the lowermost flower.         -   Buds.—Height (from base to tip): about 20 mm to 25 mm.             Diameter (at midpoint): about 15 mm to 20 mm. Shape:             egg-shaped. Color: combination between green RHS N144D and             purple RHS N74D.         -   Flowering time.—For an untreated plant (flowering plant that             has not undergone cold-treatment where the plant grows at a             temperature of 18° C. to 19° C. for about 4 to 8 weeks after             a period of about 30 weeks at a temperature of 25° C.), 2             racemes appear with about 16 to 20 flower buds and flowers             per inflorescence. First flowers can be expected             approximately 4 to 6 months after planting a plant with a             leaf diameter of 3 to 5 cm. Flowers persistent.         -   Flowering longevity.—On the plant: about 4 to 6 months;             Lastingness of cut flowers: has not been observed.         -   Fragrance.—No fragrance.         -   Flower.—Rate of opening: Flowers fully opened about 2 to 3             days after petal and sepal separation. Orientation at             opening: slanted upward and outward. Shape: see FIG. 2.             Size: Height: about 75 mm. Diameter: about 85 mm. Depth of             tube: about 18 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: six petals that are             trimerous, overlapping and arranged in 2 whorls. Petals are             more pronounced than sepals. Arrangement: Inner whorl of             petals comprises 3 petals, 2 lateral petals and labellum. 2             lateral petals: Overall shape: broadly ovate and weakly             cupped. Apex: oval. Margin: entire and weakly undulate.             Base: broadly ovate. Length: about 45 mm to 50 mm. Width:             about 30 to 35 mm. Texture: Upper surface: smooth and             satiny. Under surface: smooth and satiny. Color (when fully             opened): Upper surface: Main color is white RHS NN155C, with             a purple RHS N74D blush in the center which fades out; Under             surface: white RHS NN155C with a purple blush RHS 75D.         -   Labellum.—Overall shape: 3-lobed with 2 prominent             callosities at central junction of the lateral lobes and             base of the midlobe. Lateral lobes of labellum fold upward             about the column; the midlobe extends forward and is             terminated by 2 short filiform appendages at the apex.             Lateral lobes of the labellum are ovate in shape while the             midlobe is triangular with a bump and a rib on it. Margin:             entire and weakly undulate. Apex: Lateral lobes: oval.             Midlobe: slightly pointy. Length: about 25 mm. Width (not             flattened): about 23 mm. Texture: Upper & under surface:             smooth and satiny. Color (when fully opened): Upper surface:             The main color is white RHS NN155C. At the base of the             lateral lobes purple/red stripes RHS 72A and at the bottom             yellow RHS 14B with some red/purple RHS 64A . The main color             of the midlobe is white RHS NN155C with purple RHS 75A. On             both sides and in the center at the top there is some             red/purple RHS64A and yellow RHS 14A with red/purple RHS 72A             spots; Under surface: Midlobe is white RHS NN155C, at the             base some purple RHS N80A which flows out into purple RHS             75A. On the sides some red/purple RHS 64A and yellow RHS             14A. Lateral lobes are white RHS NN155C with a purple haze             RHS 75C. At the bottom some yellow RHS 14B and red/purple             RHS 64A.         -   Chirri.—Short (about 8 mm). Pestle (Callosities): Length:             about 4 mm. Width (not flattened): about 5 mm. Height: about             7 mm. Color: Main color is yellow RHS 9B, with some white             RHS NN155C and purple/red RHS 72A spots and stripes.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Outer whorl comprises 3 sepals. Overall             shape: elliptical and weakly cupped. Margin: entire and             weakly cupped. Length: about 40 mm. Width: about 21 mm.             Apex: oval. Texture: Upper & under surface: smooth and             satiny. Color (when fully opened): Upper surface: White RHS             NN155C with a purple haze RHS 76B. At the base of the             lateral sepals purple spots RHS N80B; Under surface: white             RHS NN155C with a purple haze RHS 75A. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Arrangement.—The stamens, style and stigmas are fused into a             single, short structure called the column, possessing one             terminal anther with pollen grains united into a pollinia,             which are covered by an anther cap. The stigma is located             under the column behind the pollinia. The ovary is inferior             with three carpels present. The plant has not produced seed.         -   Column.—Length: about 8 mm. Diameter: about 7 mm. Color:             purple RHS 76C.         -   Pollinia.—Quantity: Two. Diameter: about 1 mm. Color:             orange/yellow RHS 23A.         -   Ovary.—Length: about 5 mm. Diameter: about 6 mm. Color:             purple RHS 76C.         -   Pedicel.—Length: about 40 mm. Diameter: about 3 to 5 mm.             Texture: glabrous and smooth. Color: Close to the flower             purple RHS 75C and white RHS N155C; close to the raceme some             brown/purple RHS 176A; in between some green RHS 145C. -   Disease/pest resistance/susceptibility: No specific resistance or     susceptibility observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Tolerant to a low temperature of about 15° C.     and to a high temperature about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Phalaenopsis plant named ‘Feeling Groovy’, as illustrated and described herein. 